On Tap.

Deep Ellum’s Rye Pils Is On Its Farewell Tour. Grab a Pint Before It’s Gone For Good.

Welcome to On Tap! Each week in this recurring feature, we’ll take an in-depth look at one of the many beers now available in the suddenly crowded North Texas brew scene. The goal here is to look at these area beers without our local goggles on and to wonder aloud, “Is this beer good or do I just like it because it’s local?” Should be a fun experiment, no? Cheers to that!

This week, we sipped on Deep Ellum Brewing Company’s Rye Pils.Fast Facts on Deep Ellum Brewing Company Rye Pils.Style: Pilsner.ABV: 4.9 percent.International Bitterness Units (IBUs): 12.Color: Pale gold.Availability: Grab it while you can, because this beer’s not here for long.

Overview.
Deep Ellum Brewing, along with Braindead Brewing Company, are two brewing operations you can find if you take a trip to the Deep Ellum neighborhood. DEBC has operated a taproom for the past couple years, and it also serves lunch and dinner now out of its kitchen. Hey, it has become an entertainment space! When DEBC first opened, I remember hanging out on its janky-ass patio, popping up through the loading dock to grab a beer poured from taps drilled in to the side of its walk-in cold storage. I even bought one of their first shirt designs. I kinda miss how gritty it used to be. Now it’s a whole different ball game.

This week, I sat down with Rye Pils, a beer resurrected in 2016. However, unlike the McRib, Rye Pils is going to be completely phased out very, very soon. DEBC announced the release of its new lager and, according to my source, this new beer will replace the Rye Pils. So drink this beer while you can, because it’s going away!

Background on Pilsner.
The pilsner style hails from Germany and the Czech Republic. So it’s two countries, two slightly different styles of pilsner, but many of the same characteristics. Nowadays, there’s a malt named after the style and the Czech city Pilsen, named pilsner malt. This lager style is a crushable, clean-fermented beer that you can enjoy in multiples. Noble hops are often the stars of the bittering and aroma hops, showcasing flowery, spicy, or herbal sorts of notes. Alcohol range on a pilsner ranges from 4.4 to 5.2 percent.

Appearance.
Rye Pils pours bright, pale gold in to the glass. The clarity on this beer is on point, and it looks imminently drinkable. Head retention isn’t as long-lasting as I would like, but it does sort of hang around for a few moments. My guess is that the foam situation is a bit lower on this beer as it’s the last of the keg here at Lakewood Growler. There is, though, a thin remnant of white foam that rings the opposite-my-mouth side of the glass that creeps down the glass as I work my way through it.

Aroma.
Rye Pils smells clean and bright, and there’s a subtle toasty, crackery sort of thing going on. Of pilsner style beers out there, this beer seems to have the pilsnery situation dialed down a bit, and the rye comes through just a tiny amount in its place. Hop aroma is subtle and clean, with just a hint of a floral, spice sort of note.

Flavor.
This beer drinks clean and bright, and it’s a real pleasure. Hop bitterness is dialed in to balance the malt, and there’s just a bit of spice and bite on the swallow. I am wondering where the flaked rye addition is going to shine through on Rye Pils, and I do end up with a hint of that signature malty spicy flavor in the aftertaste. Overall, this is more a pilsner than a rye beer.

Mouthfeel.
Oh, how I adore a clean, low-alcohol beer. Rye Pils provides plenty of bite and flavor, and it’s also carbed up nicely to provide just a little bit more pop on the palate. There is little sugar on the tongue; this is a clean-drinking, crisp-finishing brew.

Overall Impression.
I’m a fan of this beer. I’m also a fan of just regular beers without rye in ’em. However, the rye addition to this beer is kept in check by the hop additions, the pilsner malt, and the fermentation profile. I wonder if Rye Pils will be gone for good. I mean, it makes sense to take it out of the lineup, what, with Deep Ellum Lager also coming on to the scene and potentially cannibalizing sales. So while we say goodbye to one DFW lager, another arrives to take its place. And I’m excited to check out Deep Ellum’s lager when I can get my hands on it. Hopefully DEBC’s new lager can fill the space that Rye Pils leaves behind.

Ben Smithson is a beer fan, avid homebrewer and foodie. If he's not brewing, learning or writing about beer, you might find him hanging out at one of the local craft beer joints in East Dallas. To counter his bad habits, he rides his bike and kayaks when the weather is nice.